The case is a 12-year-old girl. She was diagnosed with cashew nut allergy in infancy. She experienced the following allergic symptoms at age 11: sore throat after ingesting gummy bears containing citrus-derived pectin; sore throat, nausea, and severe abdominal pain after ingesting jelly containing yuzu (citrus junos) seeds and peel.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe electromagnetic form factors of the proton and neutron encode information on the spatial structure of their charge and magnetization distributions. While measurements of the proton are relatively straightforward, the lack of a free neutron target makes measurements of the neutron's electromagnetic structure more challenging and more sensitive to experimental or model-dependent uncertainties. Various experiments have attempted to extract the neutron form factors from scattering from the neutron in deuterium, with different techniques providing different, and sometimes large, systematic uncertainties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe main mode of mother-to-child transmission of the human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV)-1 is through breastfeeding. Although the most reliable nutritional regimen to prevent HTLV-1 transmission is exclusive formula feeding, a recent meta-analysis revealed that short-term breastfeeding within 90 days does not increase the risk of infection. The protocol of the Japanese Health, Labor, and Welfare Science Research Group primarily recommended exclusive formula feeding for mothers who are positive for HTLV-1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe perception of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTlV-1) infection as a "silent disease" has recently given way to concern that its presence may be having a variety of effects. HTLV-1 is known to cause adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), an aggressive cancer of peripheral CD4 T cells; however, it is also responsible for HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Most patients develop ATL as a result of HTLV-1 mother-to-child transmission.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNucleophosmin1 (NPM1) mutations are the most frequently detected gene mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and are considered a favorable prognostic factor. We retrospectively analyzed the prognosis of 605 Japanese patients with de novo AML, including 174 patients with NPM1-mutated AML. Although patients with NPM1-mutated AML showed a high remission rate, this was not a favorable prognostic factor for overall survival (OS); this is contrary to generally accepted guidelines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPatients with food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) have elevated thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) levels in the acute phase. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has evaluated TARC levels in the acute phase of immunoglobulin E-dependent food allergy (IgE-FA). If TARC elevation is a specific response to FPIES among FAs, TARC measurement may help distinguish between FPIES and IgE-FA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: We previously reported that thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) levels measured after vomiting are useful predictors of a food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) diagnosis. However, interpreting TARC levels in patients with eczema is difficult, as the levels are similarly elevated in patients with eczema caused by atopic dermatitis (AD). Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether it is possible to predict whether FPIES or AD is responsible for elevated TARC levels by simultaneously measuring TARC and squamous cell carcinoma antigen 2 (SCCA2), another T-helper type 2 biomarker.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Several recent studies have reported egg yolk-associated food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) in Japan. We previously reported the usefulness of post-emetic thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) levels for the diagnosis and evaluation of symptom severity in FPIES caused by solid foods including egg yolk. However, there are no studies on the usefulness of TARC as a prognostic biomarker.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVitamin deficiency is rare in modern industrialised countries; however, it still occurs in patients with specific backgrounds, such as those with extremely unbalanced diets, those with alcoholism and those who have undergone gastrointestinal surgery. Imaging examinations that demonstrate classic findings confirm the clinical diagnosis of vitamin deficiency and help monitor response to treatment. Because vitamin deficiencies are not prevalent, the diagnosis might not be straightforward.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFApproximately 95% of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) is derived from prolonged breastfeeding, which is a major cause of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). Exclusive formula feeding (ExFF) is therefore generally used to prevent MTCT. A recent cohort study revealed that 55% of pregnant carriers chose short-term breastfeeding for ≤3 months in Japan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe main route of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human T cell leukemia virus type 1 is vertical transmission via breastfeeding. Although the most reliable method for preventing MCTC is exclusive formula feeding (ExFF), short-term breastfeeding (STBF) or frozen-thawed breast milk feeding (FTBMF) has been offered as an alternative method if breastfeeding is strongly desired. The aim of this review was to clarify the pooled risk ratio of MCTC of STBF and FTBMF compared with ExFF.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Serum adiponectin circulates in three multimeric isoforms: high-molecular-weight (HMW), middle-molecular-weight (MMW), and low-molecular-weight (LMW) isoforms. Potential change in the circulating adiponectin levels in patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS) remain unknown. This study aimed to assess the levels of total adiponectin and the distribution of its isoforms in pediatric patients with NS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: We reported that post-emetic serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) levels may be a potential biomarker to diagnose solid food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES). However, there are no reports on the relationship between FPIES severity and serum TARC levels.
Methods: The subjects were 13 cases of FPIES (hen's egg=10, Wheat=1, rice=1, short-neck clam=1) for a total of 22 events (7 emergency outpatient visits, 9 positive and 6 negative results of oral food challenge test).
By characterizing the phase dynamics in coupled oscillators, we gain insights into the fundamental phenomena of complex systems. The collective dynamics in oscillatory systems are often described by order parameters, which are insufficient for identifying more specific behaviors. To improve this situation, we propose a topological approach that constructs the quantitative features describing the phase evolution of oscillators.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There is no consensus as to whether the outcomes of extremely preterm infants born <25 weeks' gestation have been constantly improving.
Aims: Our study aimed to clarify changes in mortality during hospitalization among extremely preterm infants.
Study Design: Comparison of mortality rates between the 2005 and 2010 retrospective nationwide surveys in Japan.
Background: Post-emetic elevation in thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) levels has been reported in patients with food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES); however, no studies have investigated differences in TARC levels between FPIES and other diseases.
Objectives: We evaluated the clinical usefulness of TARC measurement in differentiating between FPIES and infectious gastroenteritis.
Methods: This study included 8 patients with solid-food FPIES (FPIES group; hen's egg [n = 6], rice [n = 1], and short-neck clam [n = 1]; a total of 11 episodes necessitating emergency department visit or positive result of oral food challenge test) and 17 patients with infectious gastroenteritis (control group), and all patients had no eczema.
Background: The reliable diagnosis of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection is important, particularly as it can be vertically transmitted by breast feeding mothers to their infants. However, current diagnosis in Japan requires a confirmatory western blot (WB) test after screening/primary testing for HTLV-1 antibodies, but this test often gives indeterminate results. Thus, this collaborative study evaluated the reliability of diagnostic assays for HTLV-1 infection, including a WB-based one, along with line immunoassay (LIA) as an alternative to WB for confirmatory testing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Screening of pregnant women carrying human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) has a crucial role in reducing the number of HTLV-1 carriers. A national HTLV-1 screening program for pregnant women was started in 2011 in Japan. The purpose of this study is to report on the implementation of this nationwide screening program.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction And Objectives: Methemoglobinemia has been reported to be associated with severe food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES). However, no reports have evaluated methemoglobin (MHb) levels in FPIES without symptomatic methemoglobinemia or the usefulness of MHb measurement for the diagnostic prediction of FPIES. To evaluate the MHb levels of patients with neonatal-onset FPIES and determine whether MHb levels are higher in FPIES than in other gastrointestinal diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJapan has been running a nationwide antenatal human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) antibody screening program since 2010 for the prevention of HTLV-1 mother-to-child transmission. As part of the program, pregnant women are invited to take an HTLV-1 antibody screening test, usually within the first 30 weeks of gestation, during regular pregnancy checkups. Pregnant women tested positive on the antibody screening test undergo a confirmatory test, either western blotting or line immunoassay.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: This study aimed to identify the clinical features of infants who were healthy at birth, but developed sudden unexpected collapse and were then diagnosed with cerebral palsy before 5 years of age.
Methods: We retrospectively analysed 1182 records from the no-fault Japan Obstetric Compensation System for Cerebral Palsy database up to 2016. This identified 45 subjects (3.